Primula plant named ‘K 72’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Primula  plant, ‘K 72’, characterized by its foliage that is a blend of dark green and bronze, its large flowers that are deep red in color, its relatively vigorous growth habit, and its healthy foliage that has been observed to be disease resistant.

Botanical classification: Primula acaulis.

Variety denomination: ‘K 72’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent Applicationfiled for a plant derived from the same cross in the Inventor's breedingprogram that is entitled Primula Plant Named ‘K 74’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/932,944).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Primulaplant, botanically known as Primula ‘K 72’ and will be referred tohereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘K 72’. The new cultivar of Primula isa hardy herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding programconducted by the Inventor at his nursery in Ballycastle, NorthernIreland. The overall purpose of the breeding program that wasestablished in the 1980s is to make selections of Primula plants withunique and improved characteristics to plants from the ‘Garryard’ familyof primroses, a group of Primula cultivars that emerged in the 1950s andhad the common characteristic of having bronze colored foliage.

‘K 72’ was selected in the Inventor's greenhouse in 2006 as a singleunique plant from amongst the seedlings derived from a cross made in2003 between two unnamed plants of Primula acaulis from the Inventor'sbreeding program as the parents.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by invitro propagation in 2009 under the direction of the Inventor inBallycastle, Northern Ireland. Asexual propagation has determined thecharacteristics to be stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘K 72’ as a unique cultivar of Primula.

-   -   1. ‘K 72’ exhibits foliage that is a blend of dark green and        bronze.    -   2. ‘K 72’ exhibits large flowers that are deep red in color.    -   3. ‘K 72’ exhibits a vigorous growth habit for a dark foliaged        cultivar of Primula.    -   4. ‘K 72’ exhibits healthy foliage that has been observed to be        disease resistant.        In comparison to its parent plants, ‘K 72’ is more vigorous and        has better bronzing to the foliage and has flowers that are        larger and deeper red in color. ‘K 72’ can be most closely        compared to the cultivar ‘K 74’ from the same breeding program.        ‘K 74’ is similar to ‘K 72’ in having good vigor and large        flowers, however ‘K 74’ differs in having slightly less bronzing        to the foliage and in having white flowers. ‘K 72’ can also be        compared to the cultivar ‘Garryard’ (syn. ‘Garryard Guinever’,        ‘Guinever’), not patented. ‘Garryard’ differs from ‘K 72’ in        having foliage that is less bronze in color and in having        flowers that are smaller in size and pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Primula. The plant in thephotograph is 6 months in age as grown in a 9-cm container in acold-storey greenhouse in The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘K 72’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a flower of ‘K 72’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of ‘K72’. The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description, which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Primula.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of six month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown in 9-cm containers in a cold-storey greenhouse inThe Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Typically March to May in Ballycastle, The            Netherlands.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, clump-forming, tight            rosette.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 20 cm in height and about            35 cm in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—Observed to be hardy to −10° C. in western            Europe.        -   Diseases.—Observed to be disease resistant under the            conditions tested.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture preferred.        -   Growth habit.—Vigorous for a bronzed foliaged cultivar of            Primula.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Broad cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, on upper surface; 183C to 183D            stronger towards base in color, lower surface; 177A to 177B            in color, sparsely pubescent on main veins, secondary veins            and tertiary veins with thin and soft hairs, average length            0.75 mm, 156D in color.        -   Leaf margins.—Crenulate, finely sinuate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Leaf surface.—Rugose to bullate and moderately glossy.        -   Leaf color.—Newly emerged foliage and mature foliage, upper            surface; 147A to N200A, newly emerged foliage, lower            surface; 147B to 148A, mature foliage, lower surface; 146A            to 147B.        -   Leaf size.—About 11.7 cm in length and 4.4 cm in width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 28 per rosette.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Funnel form, lower 50% fused into a            tube, rosette formed flowers.        -   Flower number.—Average of 2 per rosette.        -   Flower fragrance.—Fresh acid-sweet, faint.        -   Flower aspect.—Upright to slightly outward.        -   Flower longevity.—About 10 days, depending on temperature            and sunlight exposure.        -   Flower type.—Single, polyanthus.        -   Flower size.—Average of 3.2 cm in diameter and 2.8 cm in            depth.        -   Flower buds.—Narrow elliptic in shape, average of 11 flower            buds per rosette, average of 2.1 cm in length and 6 mm in            diameter, color; N186C then fading to a lighter color            turning into 187A to 187B.        -   Sepals.—5, Narrow oblong, lower 60% fused, margin entire,            average of 2.2 cm in length and 3 mm in width, acuminate            apex, fused base, fused into a campanulate calyx with upper            40% free, surface is dull, main vein moderately pubescent            with short soft hairs, average length of hairs 0.5 mm,            color; N155B, color: young and mature upper surface; 183A to            183B, young and mature lower surface; 183A to 183, striped            lighter in color; 184B.        -   Petals.—An average of 7 per flower, rotate arrangement,            spathulate, free upper 55% of the petals orbicular, lower            45% of the petals fused into a tube, surface is very            slightly glossy and velvety, smooth texture, margin sinuate,            apex is emarginate, average of 2.7 cm in length and 1.8 cm            in width, color: opening flowers upper surface; 59A, to            187A, base (“eye”) 17B, tube 178B, fully opened flowers            upper surface; 59A to 187A, base (“eye”) 17B, tube 178B,            opening and fully opened flowers lower surface; 59A to 187A,            tube 177A, base 183A.        -   Peduncle.—Average of 2 mm in diameter and 5.9 cm in length,            moderate strength, 184A to 184B in color, glabrous surface.        -   Pedicel.—None.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—About 1 per flower, average of 8 mm in length, club            shaped stigma 187A in color, style is an average of 7 mm in            length and 187C in color, and ovary is 153B to 153C in            color.        -   Stamens.—Average 5, no filaments present, anthers are            basifixed and oblong in shape, average of 2 mm in diameter,            and N200A in color, pollen is moderate in quantity and 11A            in color.        -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production was not observed under the            conditions tested.

1. A new and distinct variety of Primula plant named ‘K 72’ as describedand illustrated herein.